[Advaita-l] Re: [advaitin] Realisation???

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

--- "R.S.MANI" <r_s_mani at yahoo.com> wrote:
.....................
>   I would request some of the learned members, like Respected Sadaji,
> etc. to devise a suitable questionnaire in this connection, so that we
> can study it and answer it ourselves. It is strictly personal and one
> need not answer it to the group. 
............
>   Many thanks and warm regards,
>   Mani
> 
> 
> R. S. Mani
>
Shree Maniji - PraNAms. Thanks for your kind words. 
What I can do is suggest spiritual exercises to do that I am
recommending those who are attending my Geeta Navaneetam class as we are
churning out the Navaneetam of each chapter.  I still have to write and
post the series that I stopped after the introduction.  

But when we studied the Arjuna ViShAda yoga, the essence of the chapter
is how attachment or rAga led to shoka and then to moha - I requested
everyone to examine ruthlessly their own attachments and make an
inventory - essentially the attachments are those fields to where the
mind runs away - it can be people or expectations or disappointments
where mental energy gets slowly dissipated. Attachment is something that
I depend on for my happiness - making an inventory of ones attachments  
(a private list for one's own growth) helps to identify the problem
first. These attachments can become potential sources of disappointents
later just Arjuna was crying becuse of his attachments. 

The second part of the exercise involves SUBSTITUTION where I project
the image of my iShTadevata - say Lord Narayana who is everywhere (antar
bahischa tat sarvam vyApta narayana shtitaH) on the locus of my
attachments. I am projecting the Lord where I am attached to things or
beings so that my attachment to lower can turn to my attachment to
higher. 

Now this itself involves a discipline.  First thing one gets up in the
morning, prayer to the Lord, requesting to be present with him through
ones daily transactions and one ability to see the Lord as the back
ground of each person that one interacts with and Last thing before one
goes to bed is to see or project the Lord again in all the transactions
that one had encountered during the day.  This Substitution is
particularly very important (and also very difficult) when we had
displayed in the moments of anger or passion, some of negative
tendencies, during our day's transactions. This substitution has to be
done not only for all people, but animals and plants - and slowly even
the so called inert things as the part of the glory of the IShTadevata
only. So as a part of the sadhana, when ever my mind is not actively
engaged in contemplative action, engage the mind in thinking of Him by
doing his nAma smarana and all seeing His form as the background in all
the scenes that one is encountering.  So every trafic jam is another
opportunity where one can relaxingly see Him and His play.  Krishna says
'mastaani sarva bhUtAni' - Essentially see this is the teaching in
practice.  I try to practice what I teach, as part of my SAdhana. l

I discussed Arjuna sharaNAgati for couple of weeks ago, taking some of
the teachings from Vedanta Deshika's rahasyatrayasaara where steps in
sharanNaagati are beautifully described. Last week we were discussing
the Krishna’s teaching of the immortality of jiiva with the statement
'asochyAn anyasochatvam', you are crying where there is no need for
crying. This itself becomes a part of our SAdhana to recognize there is
no need for crying for any thing.  In order to appreciate this fact,
that whatever comes has to go - AgamApAyinonityAH - and one can develop
the titIxa when one starts superimposing the Lord in all our day to day
transactions.  The purpose of these day to day exercises until they
become natural is essentially to reeducate our mind to grasp the highest
truth. 

I am posting this so that readers who want to follow this approach as a
part of their daily SAdhana where all the attachments are surrendered at
His feet so that mind is free to Substitute Him for everything - in the
final anaysis there is nothing other than Him. 

I am taking the liberty to post this to advaital list also with the hope
it may be helpful to those who are interested. 

Hari OM 
Sadananda